This Was Falling
by FadingSlowly
Summary: COMPLETE James Potter has always loved Lily Evans, so when he finds out that she abhors anything broomstickrelated, he is shocked beyond shocked. And he decides to take matters into his own hands...


A/N: Hey again! Due to popular demand (teehee) I am back with the companion piece (not the sequel, cuz this can be read separately, and there's not gonna be a sequel) to "This Was Flying." As I said before, this is from James's P.O.V. while the other one is from Lily's. So sit back and enjoy!

Also, another note… 11-year-old's are not the world's most sensitive creatures. No offense to any 11-year-olds who happen to be reading this, but some haven't learned _tact_, yet, so try not to be offended by some of the things in the story. :) Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I disclaim these characters' names.

This Was Falling 

I loved Quidditch.

I loved anything that had to do with flying, really. If it was broomstick-related (get that sick thought out of your heads), I loved it. I went to see my first Quidditch game when I was three years old. I had always been a particularly loud, energetic little kid, but my father said that the second I spotted Elena Hickory (a former Quidditch world champion) take flight on her broomstick, I became silent.

And I stayed that way. Silent. For the entire game.

My parents' first reactions was that someone had sneakily put a silencing charm on me, and therefore, they spent the first ten minutes of the game looking suspiciously around for a culprit. They said that they were fussing rather loudly for those first ten minutes, and I barely noticed. I was honestly _that_ transfixed.

When the game was over, my mother told me, I turned to her with the most determined expression she had ever seen on any three-year-old's face and said clearly, "I wanna fly." My mother thought it was ridiculously cute and had laughed it off at the time, but little did she know, I was dead serious.

As serious as any three-year-old could be.

I pestered my father so relentlessly after the match with hollerings of "Boom! Boom! I wanna _boom_!" that he went out and bought me the smallest toy broomstick that he could find the very next day. The packaging said "For Young Witches and Wizards – Ages 6," but no one dared tell me I wasn't old enough.

Everyday I was outside on my new broom. My father's ministry friends thought it was adorable to see this little three-year-old struggle with a toy that was obviously way too big for me to ride properly. My father had tried to shrink it, but the toy's unbreakable charm came with an unchangeable charm as well, which meant no growing and no shrinking.

My obsession with broomsticks didn't stop at just flying. Once I grew old enough to fully understand ins and outs of Quidditch, I vowed to play one day. This meant intense training. I put myself through unreasonably rigorous amounts of training. I was always extremely spoiled by my parents and other relatives as well, being the youngest in the family. I didn't even have any siblings. Therefore anything I asked for, I usually got within the week, if not the very day. And I asked for a lot – I always had the newest model of broom. I had all kinds of brooms – brooms for Quidditch, brooms for traveling, brooms for regular sweeping (before Hogwarts, I was obsessed with trying to make them fly), and every collectable broom nameable. I even had the complete collection of Quidditch gear, down to my favorite teams' (at the time) autographs.

Anything I wanted, I had. Anything I wished for, I owned. I had never learned to take "no" for an answer. Especially when it came to flying and Quidditch.

I suppose this is why I was so shocked when I discovered that Lily Evans refused to learn, really _learn_, how to fly…

_mwmwmwmw_

First year James Potter was excited. His first real flying lesson! All day he had been waiting and anticipating this. At breakfast, he had declared that he was going out for Quidditch that year ignoring his new friend, Remus Lupin's response that first years weren't allowed to even have broomsticks of their own at school, much less try out for the House Quidditch team. Little did Remus know, James had brought his broomstick to school on the train, had been flying almost every night on the Quidditch field, and hadn't been caught yet.

He had already learned who the captain of the team was, and had already learned which positions were available this year. Unfortunately, seeker, the position James most wanted to play, wasn't. But James was confident. He planned to steal the position away from the current seeker. He was sure that when the captain and rest of the team saw him fly that they'd have to agree that their old seeker's ability was no match for James's.

James grinned at the thought. Maybe, just maybe, the old seeker wouldn't even want to keep the position after he saw how James flew. He'd say graciously, "Here, Mr. Potter, sir, take my robes, please! You deserve them so much better than I do! And this team needs someone with your unremarkable flying skills and superb strategies!"

_Okay, so maybe it won't quite happen that way_, James thought, wistfully. _But it will happen nonetheless, and when it did –_

"Pay attention, stupid!" A girl hissed, elbowing him from the right side, roughly.

James turned to glare at the girl. She was shorter than him, had fiery red hair, and piercing green eyes. She was also glaring fiercely up at him. He had learned from his classes that her name was Lily Evans. He had also learned right away that she was a know-it-all and a tattletale. In short, she was no one that James would trip over his feet to be friends with.

"What do you care if I'm paying attention, or not?" he retorted. "It's not like it'll even effect you, so pay attention yourself!"

Her eyes flashed in anger. This, apparently, was the wrong thing to say, but James didn't care very much at the moment. "It might very well effect me if I'm flying and I'm thrown off by your clumsiness, and _unwillingness to pay attention!_" she snapped, her face turning as red as her hair.

James flushed angrily. How dare she call his flying clumsy? She hadn't even seen him fly, yet! "You have no idea who you're talking to, do you? I've been flying since I – "

She sniffed, effectively cutting him off, then gave him a rude up and down stare. "Frankly, I don't really _care_," she said, ending the conversation.

James was livid. He'd show her! Stupid Evans! He'd make sure she was there to see it when he made the team, just so he could rub her snotty face in it! Angrily, he turned towards the new flying coach, Madam Hooch. She was new, having just started this year, the same as them. The more James listened to her, the more it became apparent that she didn't really know what she was doing. She was basically repeating the same thing over and over, which was something along the lines of, "Um, this is a broomstick. This is the air. When you fly, you'll be on your broomstick in the air…"

James glanced around at his fellow classmates. Apart from Lily (stupid) Evans, no one was really paying attention. James sighed. It was time to take matters into his own hands. Flying was not meant to be this boring.

"Excuse me, Madam Hooch…" he said, aiming his best smile at her, "but could we maybe try to fly now? You've covered everything we could learn by standing on the ground."

"_Potter!_" Lily Evans shrieked. She looked horrified that he had spoken up to the teacher. James stared at her in disbelief. Her face was beyond pale, and she appeared to be hyperventilating.

_Merlin_, James thought, _all this because I interrupted a lesson? What a drama queen…_

"Oh," Madam Hooch said, shooting a worried glance at Evans. "Actually, um… you're quite right." She smiled at James. "Can't learn much about flying while we're on the ground, eh? Alright, then! Think fast!" She tossed the first broomstick into James's hand, who easily caught it, and grinned at anyone who had been watching him.

Madam Hooch tossed the rest of the broomsticks at the first years. Some caught them and some didn't. James grinned rather meanly when Lily Evans jumped away from hers in surprise, and then had to go searching for it in the grass.

"Okay, class! Let's see what you make of flying! Up and at 'em, now!" the woman said, clapping her hands together.

James mounted his broom, and took off without a second thought. He heard a surprised gasp from many students still on the ground, and recognized an excited squeal from one of his dorm mates, Peter-something-or-other.

James grinned wondering if he should show off by doing a loop-de-loop, or something, then decided against it. Most students weren't even off the ground, yet. Instead they were watching him, and James didn't want to distract them from learning to fly. He firmly believed that everyone should learn how to fly. Apart from it being the best thing ever, it was absolutely essential to the average witch's or wizard's health. No one could survive without flying.

He circled slowly, and watched as other people struggled (or didn't) with their brooms. Sirius, his newest friend and another of his dorm mates, was easily the second best of everyone, after James. He had had a little trouble kicking off, but once he was in the air, he laughed triumphantly, and started to circle with James.

"Look at Evans," James pointed derisively.

"Who?" Sirius said, while slowly orbiting him.

"_Her!_" James said, impatiently. "The one with the _hair_."

"Oh, her? She's not even off the ground, yet," Sirius said, laughing. "She looks like she's never seen a broom before. I'll bet you anything she's muggleborn!"

James nodded. Everyone else was at least hovering by now, but not Lily. She stood on the ground, and held her broom at arms length, giving it a look of disgust. James tried to exchange a glance with Sirius, but his friend had flown away and was hovering above a flock of girls. From what James could see, he was sprinkling what looked like bits of grass and sand into their hair.

Grateful for his friend's distraction, James flew down to where Lily Evans was and landed in front of her, smirking. She didn't even glance up at him.

"Is it true that you're muggleborn?" James asked, scornfully. Honestly, he had nothing against muggleborns, he wasn't raised that way, and he knew that if his father heard him talking like this, he'd be banned from flying for a month at least. But what his father didn't know didn't hurt him.

Lily glanced up at him, finally. The fierce look from earlier came back into her eyes. "What's it to you?" she said. He noted that she was still unnaturally pale.

"I was wondering why you hadn't gotten off the ground, yet, is all," James sneered. "Well, now I know." He kicked off and flew a short distance, then came back so that he was hovering at her height, five feet in front of her.

Lily's mouth had dropped open in shock, and she gripped her broomstick tightly in her hands. "Why, you… you… !" Apparently finding no words to convey her anger, she raised her broomstick and swung it at him rather violently.

James, beyond stunned, was knocked out of the air and onto the ground with an "oomph!" He lay there for a second, blinking, and in shock. He had never fallen before… granted, it wasn't his fault that a raging crazy person had come at him wielding a broom, but _he had never fallen before._

A shadow fell over him and he looked to up to see Lily Evans standing over him, the same cross expression on her face. "Good to know that there are better uses for these things than flying," she said, gesturing at the broomstick still clutched in her hand. She narrowed her eyes at him, and then stalked away angrily.

James sat up, unaccustomed to such things. She hadn't even offered him a hand up or anything! Granted he had said some really mean things to her, but still! No one had ever treated him like that before… no one… and over flying, too!

He stared at Lily Evans's departing backside, and a weird fluttery feeling unexpectedly developed in his stomach. And he doubted it had anything to do with falling.

_mwmwmwmw _

James grinned happily. Yes, he was well aware that there was a party going on in Gryffindor Tower right now. Yes, he was also well aware that people would be missing him, and might wonder where he was. However, at the moment, he just didn't care much. He had won. He had led his team to victory. He had caught the Golden Snitch. It was definitely something to celebrate. So he was. He was celebrating.

Except he was doing it in his own way.

James tightened his hands on his broomstick and suddenly shot straight upward. He was higher than the goal posts, even. He could practically see the top of the castle from here! When he flew as high as he dared, which was actually pretty high, he took a deep breath. Then he closed his eyes. And let go of his broomstick.

He was hurtling through the air, heading towards the ground at earth shattering speed. If any teacher dared look out the window, it would probably appear to them that he was falling to his death. James loved this feeling. Gravity was a beautiful thing. He couldn't see, he couldn't breathe, and he had no idea how close he was to the ground.

When he had been falling for about five seconds, he opened his eyes, blindly groped around for his broomstick, and pulled up sharply. He looked down. He was barely ten feet from the ground. If he had fallen for one more second…

James's heart was racing. He had never understood why he loved this so much. He loved putting himself into dangerous situations like this. In fact, ever since Lily Evans had knocked him off of his broom in first year, he had loved the feeling of falling. Yes, he knew it was downright insane, but he had always figured his magic would save him if he ever got into any real trouble. His friends didn't even know about his obsession with falling. He figured that if they knew, it would just lead to worrying, mostly on Remus's part, and Sirius might want to try it for himself.

James wouldn't have that. Falling was his secret joy, and his alone.

He was so preoccupied with these thoughts that at first he didn't notice that someone had come outside and was standing at the edge of the Quidditch field looking up at him. He was debating whether to rise up into the air, higher this time, and do it all again, but then something made him look down.

And that's when he spotted her.

_Evans? What's she doing out here? Shouldn't she be at my party?_ James shook his head. Evans _would_ show up right now, and ruin his evening plans. _And knowing her, she might make up some stupid rule about me not being allowed to be out here alone… She might even tattle…_

James landed in the middle of the field, amused to see that she hadn't seemed to notice him, yet. It looked like she had something in her hand. James groaned silently. If it was a book like he thought it was, he was seriously going to hurl. What normal person came out to read on the Quidditch pitch? _Oh, right_, he reminded himself. _Evans isn't exactly a normal person._

He walked up to her, surprised by the fact that she really hadn't seemed to notice him land at all. To be honest, he was a little annoyed as well, even if she wasn't ignoring him on purpose.

"Oy, Evans!" he said, waving a hand in front of her face when he got close enough. That seemed to wake her up from whatever sadistic daydream she was probably having.

"Potter!" she exclaimed, giving a startled jump.

James struggled not to roll his eyes. Evans was, and always would be, a drama queen. He didn't mind it as much as he used to, though. Somehow, between first year and this year (5th) Evans had gone from being a conceited know-it-all, to a dazzling, conceited know-it-all. James had to admit that he had always fancied her quite a bit, and was continually ticked when she had never seemed to fancy him back. He had figured that his constant asking out of her was something of a joke to her and her friends, and furious at not being taken seriously, had gone to his friend Remus for advice. Remus had suggested that he ease up on all of the asking out, and so he had. Instead of every day, he now made a point to ask her out at least once a week. Not that it mattered. She still wasn't taking him seriously.

James grinned weakly at her. "Come to watch my brilliant flying skills, Evans?" She really didn't know what she did to him…

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You wish," she said, "If I wanted to watch you fly, I would have come to the game today."

James stared at her. It took a while for the words to fully register in his brain. _She didn't come to a Quidditch match? _"You didn't come to the match?" he asked, confusedly. _What kind of person doesn't come to see a free Quidditch match?_

She rolled her eyes. "You know I don't care much for flying, Potter. Or Quidditch, for that matter."

James was shocked. Beyond shocked. He was disappointed. He honestly didn't know what to say to that. "Lily, Lily, Lily…" he said, shaking his head, stunned. She didn't answer him, just continued to give him that nonchalant look of indifference. So he repeated himself, "Lily, Lily, Lily."

"What?" she said, the tiniest bit of venom in her voice. James just stared at her in a mixture of disbelief and utter disappointment. "_What_, Potter?"

"It's impossible," James said, sighing.

"What's impossible?" Lily asked. Was she serious?

"That you don't like flying," James explained, trying to keep all the emotion out of his voice. Flying was the best thing in the world to him… and to hear her, _the girl of his dreams_, say that she didn't like it… "I don't believe it," he said, stubbornly.

She just stared at him, not speaking for a moment, as if she didn't know quite what to say to that statement. "Why not?" she finally asked.

_Why not? She must be kidding. _"Because! Someone like you who throws herself one hundred percent into everything she does, and excels at everything she does, should have discovered the joys of a broomstick a long time ago! And if she didn't, it might have been because she had the wrong teacher." James couldn't believe he was having this conversation.

"We both had the same teacher, Potter," Lily replied.

"That's where you're wrong, Evans," James said, grinning. "Madam Hooch didn't teach _me_. I've been flying since I was old enough to sit up on my own. Mind you, little kids' broomsticks are nowhere near as advanced as these…" He glanced down at his broomstick and missed Lily rolling her eyes at him.

"Anyways," James continued, as a brilliant idea formed in his mind, "I'm about to make you an offer you can't refuse, Evans."

"No."

James blinked. He hadn't expected her to refuse so – okay, so maybe he had, but still. "I said, an offer you can't refuse," he said, frustratedly, running a hand through his hair.

Lily crossed her arms. "If it has anything to do with me getting on a broomstick, then the answer is no!"

Okay, now James was getting upset. "Evans, _can't_ means _not allowed to_."

"No, it doesn't," she said smugly. "It means _physically unable to_." James rolled his eyes.

"Fine!" he snapped. "Then you _won't_ refuse it! _Won't_ meaning _will not_, which means that you're _not allowed to_!"

Lily's eyes flashed in anger. She liked to be ordered around about as much as he did. "You can't – " she started to say, but James cut her off.

"Obviously, I _can_, because I just did!"

"Potter, you are the most _incorrigible_ - !"

Again, he interrupted her. "Midnight. At midnight, you will meet me here, because if you don't, I'll wake your entire dorm, and have them believing you're late for a midnight shag in the Astronomy Tower with me."

James glared at her, unrelenting. For once, she seemed to have nothing to say. That was fine with him. He didn't care if he was completely ruining any future chances he might have of impressing her. Not wanting to learn to fly was incomprehensible in his mind.

"Midnight," he muttered, as he stalked off angrily to the Quidditch showers.

He was going to teach Lily Evans to fly if it was the last thing he did.

_mwmwmwmw_

That first lesson had been horrible. At least, it had started off horribly. James had been so certain that Lily was going to stand him up that when she unexpectedly showed, he was so surprised that he spent the first ten minutes or so smiling awkwardly and wishing he had a better lesson planned out in his head.

However, after those first ten dreadful minutes, the rest seemed to come natural to him. She was _actually_ listening to him… and paying attention to him… and for once, James sounded somewhat intelligent around her. He prided himself on Quidditch, and he took satisfaction in the fact that whenever anyone asked him anything about it, he was able to answer easily. So teaching the object of his affections, Lily Evans, about flying, his favorite thing in the world, was like heaven on earth for him.

Even better was the fact that she seemed as if she _actually_ wanted to learn. And not just learn, she wanted to continue learning from _him_.

"And sometimes, Padfoot," James said, flashing a playful grin at his best friend, "I get the feeling that flying isn't the only thing she wants me to teach her."

Sirius laughed, and lightly shoved James. "You're so full of it," he said.

"Well, who was the one who said I'd never get Evans to like me in a million billion years? Huh, Sirius? Who was that?" James teased.

"Moony," Sirius said, straight-faced.

"You liar, Sirius. I did no such thing," Remus his voice sounding muffled from behind his book that he had in front of his face. The three boys, and Peter, were relaxing in their dormitory. It was another normal Saturday night for them, which meant that soon Sirius would be headed off on a date with one girl or another, and James would be heading off to meet Lily in the field.

"Well, just because she meets you every night to do Merlin knows what – "

"Flying," James replied, shooting his friend an annoyed look.

"Exactly," Sirius continued. "_Flying_. Which is the exact opposite of _falling_. And by falling, I don't mean off her broomstick. I mean for you."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Sirius. Really," James grumbled, sarcastically.

"I'm just saying, don't get your hopes up. You've been chasing after Evans – "

"Lily," James interrupted.

"Whatever," Sirius said, impatiently. "You've been chasing after this girl every since she knocked you off your broomstick in first year, Prongs. Which, may I add, is not the stuff dreams are made of."

"How would you know?" James said, heatedly. "You just snog every girl who comes your way! I wouldn't exactly say that's the stuff dreams are made of, either!"

"But I'm not chasing after a dream, James. _You are_," Sirius pointed out. "Face it. You've been after this girl since you were eleven. And now you're sixteen! If she hasn't given you the time of day, yet, then it's most likely that _she never will_. She's just using you to learn how to fly! And she's got you so wrapped around her bloody finger that if she tells you to jump off your sodding broomstick - !"

"SHUT UP, SIRIUS!"

Peter gave a frightened squeak, and James heard the sound of a book hitting the floor. He stared up at his best friend, who had something of a wounded look in his eyes.

"I'm just trying to protect you, James," Sirius said, quietly. "I know how you get around Evans and I – "

"Well, don't," James replied, the venom still thick in his voice. "Just mind your own business."

He grabbed his invisibility cloak, his broomstick, and was gone before Sirius, or anyone, could say another word.

_mwmwmwmw_

She wasn't here, yet. James sighed. He folded up his invisibility cloak and left it on one of the benches, like he always did. Then, he went for the other broomstick, the school one. He always let Lily ride his, and he took one of the school ones, knowing that it would be easier for her to learn on one she was used to.

When he came back out, he expected her to be waiting, but she still wasn't there. James frowned. What if Sirius was right? What if she had been using him and decided that she didn't need him anymore now that she had learned the basics? James was scared, all of a sudden.

_No, Lily wouldn't do that. Stop it. You're letting what Sirius said get to you. She's just a little late, that's all._ James took a deep breath. He needed to fly for a few minutes, until she got there. Flying would calm him down. It always did.

He headed over to where he had left his broomstick and dropped the school one in its place. Then, he mounted his broomstick and kicked off from the ground as hard as he could. He spun in dizzying fast circles for a while, and then he went vertical and zoomed up high, as high as the castle, and then some.

When he had gone as high as he dared, he closed his eyes, and let go. He was hurtling, passing through space at a speed that –

"JAMES POTTER!" a familiar voice screeched.

James was startled, and opened his eyes. He groped around blindly for his broomstick, but it was tangled up in his legs. And he fell. Panic rose in his chest. He lost his glasses somewhere. Couldn't breathe, couldn't see, couldn't – _A scream was coming from somewhere far away_… _Lily!_

Impact.

Green eyes. Red hair. Then the world went dark.

_mwmwmwmw_

"… much I hate you! So much! I hate you so much, James Potter!"

James struggled to open his eyes, but he couldn't. They felt so heavy.

"Can't believe you would… How _could_ you?" Hysterical sobbing.

"Shut it, Evans! He's trying to sleep!"

"No, _you_ shut it, Sirius Black! Don't tell me to shut it! Can't you see that I'm _grieving_ here?" More hysterical sobbing.

"Prongs was right… you _are_ a drama queen!"

A gasp. Then, "HOW DARE YOU?"

"Ow, Evans!" Thump. "Hey! Stop!" Thump.

"HOW DARE… (whack)… YOU… (thump "Quit it!")… TRY TO TURN ME… (thud) AGAINST JAMES IN HIS TIME OF NEED!"

"But you were just saying how much you hated him!"

Pause.

"That's _not_ the point!"

James struggled once more to open his eyes, and this time he managed. Lily and Sirius were at either side of his bed glaring at each other. Remus and Peter were sitting at the end, looking back and forth from one to the other. Remus looked as if he were trying not to laugh and Peter looked terrified.

"Hey," James whispered.

At once, all eyes swiveled toward him. There was another pause. Then, "OH, JAMES! YOU'RE ALIVE!" Lily threw her arms around him. James was stunned, and he barely had any time to enjoy it before she suddenly pulled herself back as if she had gotten burned.

"I'm, er, glad you're awake," she said, quietly, blushing furiously, and looking anywhere in the room it seemed, but at him.

"Hey, Prongsie," Sirius said, awkwardly. "I, um, I know I said some awful things to you…" he darted a glance at Lily, who was now watching him curiously, "… but was it really that bad that you had to try to commit suicide by jumping off of your broom a million feet in the air?"

"I didn't – " James started, weakly, but he was interrupted.

"What? This is your fault?" Lily exclaimed. She glared fiercely at Sirius. "I should've _known_."

Sirius looked terrible and Lily was clearly livid. Neither Remus, nor Peter seemed to know what to say.

James took a deep breath. "No… it's not his fault. I was, um… aggravated at you, yes, Sirius, but… I was just trying something new… with my broom… for, uh, Quidditch."

"_Trying something new?_" Lily said, in utter disbelief. "Since when is leaping from your broomstick an effective Quidditch strategy?" Her voice was growing louder and louder with every word. "Sure, there's that tiny chance that you _might_ catch the snitch, but either way, you'll be _HURTLING TO YOUR DEATH_!"

"Lily – " James tried to cut in.

"DON'T LILY ME!" she yelled. "I CAME TO THE FIELD TO LEARN HOW TO FLY VERTICALLY, BECAUSE YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO TEACH ME THAT TONIGHT, AND WHAT HAPPENS? I CATCH YOU FALLING, JAMES! _FALLING_! SO DON'T LIE TO ME AND TELL ME IT WAS BECAUSE OF QUIDDITCH, BECAUSE I REFUSE – GOT THAT? – _REFUSE_ TO BELIEVE THAT!"

"Yeah, you're a horrible liar, James," Sirius interjected.

"SHUT UP, SIRIUS!" Lily turned on him, her eyes flashing with fury.

"Uh… Sirius, I think we should go… and let them talk…" Remus suggested, quietly, but firmly.

Sirius's eyes shot daggers at Lily, but he left without another word. Then, there was an uncomfortable silence.

"So, tell me," Lily said, taking a breath. "Tell me what's so horribly wrong with you? Or what was so horribly wrong that you felt you had to end your life because of it?"

"I wasn't…" James trailed off. She wouldn't believe him if he told her what he liked to do sometimes. Wouldn't believe him if he said, in those moments before he hit the ground, before he lost control of his broom, that he had actually _enjoyed_ falling. She'd think he was insane, but she wouldn't believe him. So he decided to go with the next best thing.

"I thought… I thought you were standing me up," he mumbled.

And thus occurred the longest, most uncomfortable silence ever in history.

"Oh, Potter," she finally said, her voice sounded strange. "Potter, Potter, Potter…"

James looked up at her, and was startled to see her stunning green eyes full of tears, was startled to see those tears cascading down her perfect face. Immediately, he wanted to take back what he said. He didn't know it would make her this unhappy. He didn't know what to do.

"So, erm, I guess we're back to last names, then?" he tried to joke.

"Potter, Potter, Potter," she said, simply.

He stared at her, but discovered that it hurt to look at her, because of those eyes. Those eyes that were staring back at him in… hurt… pity… and worse of all, disappointment.

"Lily, please, say someth – "

Before he could finish his sentence, she started speaking in super speed mode. He had only ever seen her talk this way twice, and both times, when she was _really_ upset.

"I am appalled that you would even think for one second that I would ever stand you up. Do you know how much I enjoy flying with you? Do you know that I used to be deathly afraid of heights before you forced me onto a broomstick? Do you know how I _feel_ when I'm flying, James? No? Then, let me tell you. I feel something I've never felt before. I think it's called freedom. I've never felt that before, James, and you gave that to me. If you died, do you have any idea how devastated I'd be? Maybe you don't understand, but I now consider you a _friend_, you stupid prat, and if you ever, _ever_ pull another outrageously idiotic stunt like that, then our friendship will be over. Finished. Done with. I will personally see to it that you are expelled, because I wouldn't be able to stand being in the same vicinity with you, James_. I'd never fly again_. Because I wouldn't be able to stand it, James. I wouldn't be able to _stand_ it."

James stared at her for a long, long moment. Her face had gone pale, but she was standing her ground, and staring him straight in the eyes. There were so many things he wanted to say to her right now.

_Lily, you consider me a friend? Really?_

_Lily, I love –_

_Lily, you are so –_

Whenever I'm around you Lily, I feel like I'm falling. Falling into the sky. And I don't know how to stop it. I don't have any control over it at all. Ever since I first met you in first year in that first flying lesson, I've been falling for you. Literally, and metaphorically. It used to scare me because I've never felt that way before, Lily, but now… now… I – I…Merlin, I just want to be with you! Lily, I love –

But he couldn't. Not now.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry." He held out his arms to her, hesitantly, and without any hesitation on her part at all (James thought), she embraced him.

James sighed while Lily cried in his arms. Someday, he would tell her…

He wrapped his arms tighter around her.

So, this is falling…

mwmwmwmw

A/N: I've been comparing this one to the other one, and biting my nails in worry. I don't know if this one is better or worse, I really don't. I think it's more… angsty, honestly. But again, not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing… I always figured James was initially more in love with Lily than she was in love with him, and I think that's why this fic turned out the way it did. And why the other one turned out the way it did. See, my reasoning is, that Lily, in this stage of her life, is just discovering that she likes James, while James is (and has been for a while now) head over heels for Lily. So, yeah.

Didja like it? Didja not like it? Tell me what you thought. Be honest.

Ariana S.


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